Frost damage measured by electrolyte leakage in subarctic bryophytes increases with climate warming

1. Observed climate change in northern high latitudes is strongest in winter, but still relatively little is known about the effects of winter climate change on tundra ecosystems. Ongoing changes in winter climate and snow cover will change the intensity, duration, and frequency of frost events. Bryophytes form a major component of northern ecosystems but their responses to winter climate changes are largely unknown. 2. Here, we studied how changes in overall winter climate and snow regime affect frost damage in three common bryophyte taxa that differ in desiccation tolerance in a subarctic tundra ecosystem. We used a snow manipulation experiment where bryophyte cores were transplanted from just above the treeline to similar elevation (i.e., current cold climate) and lower elevation (i.e., near-future warmer climate scenario) in Abisko, Sweden. Here we measured frost damage in shoots of Ptilidium ciliare, Hylocomium splendens and Sphagnum fuscum with the relative electrolyte leakage (RE...